Water 135 - Water Quality - Ryan Bye

Introduction

Welcome to Water Quality! My name is Ryan Bye, and I want you to be successful in this course. I am here to support you. Please contact me with any questions, concerns, or just to chat.

My office hour each week will be right before or after class from 5:30pm to 6:00pm and 7:35pm to 8:05pm. We can talk in the classroom on the Canyon Country Campus, in the Applied Technology Ed Center Room 704, or via our regular class meeting Zoom session. If this doesn’t work for you, I am also available at other times by appointment.

You can reach me by email at Ryan.Bye@canyons.edu or through by messaging me in Canvas.

I will do my best to reply to your message in a timely manner, usually 24 hours or less. If you haven’t heard from me, please resend your message. It is helpful if you put “Water 135” in the subject line of the message. If you would prefer to connect by phone or by Zoom, include your phone number and/or when the best time to connect is.

Course Description

The course is designed for individuals interested in a career in water technology. It provides highly technical instruction in the areas related to Water Quality in drinking water distribution, water treatment systems, and regulatory compliance. The information covered is essential to stay in compliance with both state and federal drinking water regulations. The course covers areas tested both in the State Water Treatment & Distribution Operator Certification exams.

To learn more about the water program certification and degree requirements, courses, and industry certifications check out the department website.

What to Expect in this Course

Coursework

Participation is important! The best way for you to be successful in this class is to complete all of your assignments in a timely manner. This will require setting aside the time you need to study, complete assignments, and review course materials so that you are prepared for each class. This will directly contribute to how well you learn the content and how much you take away from your experience.

Videos

This semester is different than previous semesters. Normally the class meets for 3 hours in person or through Zoom. Now our class meets for 1.5 hours in person or through Zoom, with the remainder of the time to be completed through the week (when it’s most convenient for each student). This means a good portion of instruction will be made up of videos posted to Canvas. To succeed, student should watch all videos posted prior to the corresponding Sunday at 11:59PM and before completing any assignments, discussion posts, and quizzes.

Canvas

Canvas will be used as the LMS for this course. You will find all of the course content, handouts, grades, etc., and Zoom information posted here. You can access Canvas by visiting https://coc.instructure.com or from COC’s homepage, click the shortcut (the gear icon) at the top of the website. The Canvas classroom will be available at the start of the semester. 

Zoom

We will be using Zoom for online instruction. Zoom is a professional meeting/training/conferencing system and will be used to allow students to remotely join the lecture portion of the course. In order to access Zoom, simply log into Canvas.  Once you’ve entered the course through Dashboard, click Zoom in the menu on the left.  There you will be able to access the lecture or view any lecture recordings. Because the class is recorded, all video, audio, or text (including those of students) during the course of class will also be recorded.  If you do not want your video or audio recorded, please contact the instructor. You will not be required to turn on your camera.   

Submitting Assignments

All assignments have due dates for submission. Students are expected to submit assignments on time to receive credit. Accommodations to this rule may be made at my discretion in the event of an unforeseen emergency. Some assignments will need to be submitted through Canvas by uploading a PDF of the assignment, while others may be completed without the need to upload documents. I sill specify during class and on Canvas which assignments need to be uploaded to Canvas for credit. Contact me prior to assignment due dates if you need assistance submitting an assignment.

Types of Assessments

Homework Assignments

The 14 homework assignments will come from select questions at the end of each chapter and information discussed in class. Only 13 homework assignments are required. So you have the option of skipping one assignment. These will all be online assignments, which means you must complete them by the end of the module. For example, Week 1 HM #1 assignment is due no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, August 31, 2025.

Discussion Posts

You will be required to participate in the online discussion boards. There are seven (7) discussion assignments spaced regularly through the semester with different discussion topics. On weeks assigned, you are required to submit your initial post by Friday at midnight.  That week you must also respond to one (1) other posts by Sunday at midnight. Your initial post is worth 10 points and the response is worth 5 points, for a total of 15 points possible per discussion. More instruction will be given with each discussion topic.

Quizzes

The 3 quizzes will be a collection of questions provided at the end of each chapter. It is encouraged to not only read each chapter, participate in any lecture/discussion and also complete all the questions at the end of each chapter. If you do this, you should have no problem doing very well on the quizzes. Each quiz will be worth 20 points and there will be between 5 and 10 questions on each quiz.

Exams

There is one 50-point midterm exam and one 100 point final exam. The mid-term exam will cover everything discussed through the first six chapters, quiz #1 and any other information discussed/covered during the lectures. The final exam will be cumulative and is almost 22% of your grade. So, needless to say, it is very important that you do well on this exam. There will be a complete review and practice the week before the final exam, but don’t wait until the end of the course to start getting serious. If you stay engaged the entire semester, you will be fine

Extra Credit

There is an opportunity to receive up to 20 points of extra credit. This assignment is not required and details will be given in class.

Textbook Information

This course uses a Zero Textbook Cost book, which you can access at www.canyons.edu/ztc. A pdf is also available as a download through Canvas. In addition, a hard copy of the text can be purchased at the bookstore.

Additional Resources

Canvas

This course can be accessed on the first day of class via Canvas at https://coc.instructure.com. Log into Canvas using your CanyonsID single sign-on:

• CanyonsID Username is your COC student email address (Ex: username@my.canyons.edu)
• CanyonsID Password is your COC student email password

Please visit the Get to Know Your Online Classroom page for help logging into Canvas and for tips on using Canvas and Zoom. Canvas Chat Support is also available 24/7 for any Canvas related issues.

Online Education

Check out the Online Education website for more information on a variety of topics that can help you be a successful online student such as: exam proctoring, learning styles, computer skills, and tips for student success. If this is your first online course, feel free to take our online learning readiness assessment to assess your skills.

The Learning Center (TLC)

The TLC provides FREE online tutoring resources to COC students!

Academic Accommodation Center (AAC)

College of the Canyons AAC provides educational services and access for eligible students with documented disabilities who intend to pursue coursework at COC. A variety of programs and services are available which afford eligible students with disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the college programs and activities through appropriate and reasonable accommodations. For more information on their services visit the Academic Accomodation Center website.

Online Counseling

The Counseling Department offers appointments online. You can schedule an appointment by visiting the Online Counseling website. Counselors can help you map out a plan to reach your educational goals as well as advise you on course selection and registration.

Management of Stress and Mental Health

Often the pressure on our students is very strong, involving academic commitments, relationships, outside jobs and family pressure to name a few. The staff and faculty of College of the Canyons are here to see you succeed academically and care about your emotional and physical health. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential student services, including counseling and mental health services available on campus by visiting the Student Health & Wellness Center in the Student Services Building (across from the bookstore). The phone number is 661-362-3259 that you can call 24/7. You can also e mail for an appointment at StudentHealthCenter@canyons.edu. At the Canyon Country Campus the Health Center will be in the new Student Services Building.

Also, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number is now 988. All students at COC are encouraged to enter that phone number in their cells. You can call it when you, or someone you know, is having thoughts of suicide or is in severe distress.

You can also now use the Crisis Text Line: Just text "Courage" to 741741. Someone will get back to you immediately. Its free, 24/7, and confidential.

Veterans Resource Center

The College of the Canyons Veterans Resource Center is a department within the Student Services Division at the college, created to help veterans and veteran dependents with applying to College of the Canyons, enrolling in classes, and requesting VA Education or Vocational Benefits. For more information please visit the Veterans Resource Center website, email veterans@canyons.edu or phone (661) 362-3469.

Library

The Library provides live online and in-person research help, access to a full range of e-resources and physical materials that support the curriculum, individual and group study areas, and much more!

Last updated: 02/07/2026 Sub#: 2020 Sub ID: 207618